Attachment for teeth



, July 6 1926. 1,591,155

J. M.'CRAIGO' ATTACHMENT FOR TEETH Filed Dec. 10, 1924 Patented JuIy G, I '7 a JOHN .rmmqaqomiimmmeommmw;1;; I a T' Y 1 other orthodontia-appliances in the mouth. The aim of the invention is to provide an; improved attachment of this sort having variousfeatures of novelty and advantage,-

ATTACHMENT so TEETH. J

] a iiucati n inedniiib r' 10, 1924., swami tn; V

i invention relates to attachments for holding artificial bridges, plates, dentures or and which is particularly characterized by its practicabilityvand efi'ec tiveness in use in s s I r I this vView being taken substantially on line that the denture or bridge work is maintained in proper relation to the permanent teeth with which it is associated, andthe at y removed "from, and

tachment may be readil replaced into, position.

the artificialteeth or bridge work is held againsttilting and pivotal movements while,

. teeth which atthe same time,there is suflicient resiliency presentto permitall of the teeth to func-} tion properly.

manent teeth in the mouth without} in any way mutilating or damaging such teeth. My attachment may be correctly, fitted to are irregular} or abnormally in- 'c1ined.- 7' i i A further aim of the invention is to pro- "vide a l-improved attachment which is so neat in apperance that it will hardly be ob teeth, in the mouth.

. My improved arrangement is such that crevices, cracks or the like, in'which par-f ticles' of food or 10ther"foreign matter may lodge, are substantially eliminated; undue, strains on the permanent teeth, to which the "attachment pplied, are avoided; and there may/be 'Such l l ni between the bridge work and the gum thatthe latter maintained in proper condition,

Other objects Wlll be in partobvious and in part pointed out more? in detail hereinafter. 7 i 1 g The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of ele- V ments and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter 'setforth, and the scope of the applir take;

' cation of which will be indicated in the. a

pended claims.

- I In the; accompanying drawing, wherein I have shown, by way of illustration, one em-,

bodiment which the present invention may Figure 1 By the use of my improved arrangement,

Nly improved attachment is very simple in construction, economicalin manufacture andmay be readily applied to any ofthe perserved, even when applied to 'the front .ployed-in its generic sense, a Refrring t0 the drawing in j detailv a. denotes one of the jaws of the mouth; b,';per-' 'manentteeth; andc, 0, crowns forthe-peris a-front view showing a deni iiireor-cappliance to ft oj-permt nent-teeth; V 1 V lasp fi andaclasp appliedithereto, the tooth which the crown caps being (shown in elevation,"

Fig.As is a' viewj similartto Fig. f3, bum;

"Fig; 5 'is Ianenlarged detailjview taken "through onef' arm of the -clasp, substantiallyonline 3 -3 of Fig, l, the c .in outline b @dotted lines.

' In these rawings," I, have shown a bridge carrying two artificial teethand having at ,each; end a cla'sp respectively associated with:

takenisubstantially on'.lin ej4fl ofig. l; a j

i i ib sh -Wei two "crowned permanent teeth, butj-it, is gto be understood that this showing is'by-waybf exiemplification only, and itlis not to bjeitaken as restrictive of my conception, itfbeing purposes of brevity and conveniencein'dd scription, the orthodontiajappliance, plate or denture will befreferred' tofas -a"bridge,

it being understood that this term is jfem- Y a 1 manent teeth. Betweentl1e permanentteeth b are removable or artificial teeth d fixed a particular band adapted to partially iencircle I the "crowns onythe perm'anentrteeth. In the-present instance, each clasp is'jshovv'n, as havinga pairof arms 10adaptedtofclosely straddle a crown, the clasp,'by preference,r

being made of a suitable resilient mate j rial ,so I that the arms may spring slightly "apart when slippingtheclasp onto-a crown 'orremo'vingthe same therefrom and softhat v the arms will hub the crown when the clasp is inposition, Each of the clasps may have V 1 a tang or wing '11 by'means of which it is secured to the bridge 6 or' the clasps may be i formed integrally vwith'the plate. 7

I In accordancewithi'the present invention, i

80 vobvious that, the denture or'. orthodontia ap -j ,pli'ance'maybe of any-desired rorm depena 1 ring uponv conditions, and-that the denture 1 :m ay beheld in placeiby a single clasp. For,

7 each arm of a clasp is provided with a depression or recess 12, and these recesses are adapted to closely receive similarly shaped projections 13 on opposite sides of a Crown 0. By preference, each arm is further provided with a second recess or depression 14 .which, when the clasp is in place on the crown, is adapted to, receive or fit over a respective projection 15 on the crown. Itis desirable that these depressions 14 be immediately beneath the recesses 12 and that they be opened at their lower edges so as to 'form grooves, so to speak. The projections 15 are immediately below the projections 13. It will be observed that, with this arrange merit, the clasp may be readily slipped into 1 place on the crown for, when it is moved down. into position, the grooves 1 1 will accommodate the projections 13,:resulting in the arms being slightly c'ammed apart so that the clasp willslip oved the projections eign matter cannot lodge therein.

' dies. I forms a relatively abrupt shoulder or flat 18 until theseprojections'arereceived by the recesses-12. VVhen the clasp is in final I position, the projections 13 fill the grooves or depressions 1 1 so that food or other for- 7 Owing to the fact that the arms are hugging the crown," and the projections 13 are/engaged ing action in one directionand a pivotal action in the other direction.

For the purpose of relieving excessive stress-on the gum tissue, particularly where the bridge or plate is relatively small, each clasp may be positively held against moving down to too great an extent on the crown with which it is associated. For example, each crown may be provided on opposite sides with a projection or boss 17 and each arm may have in its lower edge a notch 18 adapted to'receive one'of these bosses. By preference, the bosses 17 fit closely within the recesses so as to eliminate spaces in which food or the like might lodge.

The projections and bosses of the crowns are economically formed by bending the metal of the crown outwardly by means of suitable The top or end surface of the boss 17 ledge, and the upper or inner edge of the notch 18 securely seats upon this ledge. Thus, there is no tendency for the ledge to cam thearms apart. 1 I

1. In combination, a crown having on each of twoof itsopposite sides'a boss pro-' vided with a pronounced shoulder adapted 7 to form a stop and rest at its upper end, and a clasp having a pair of resilient arms hugging said crown and eachipiovided at its lower edge with a notch, the inneredge of "which securely seats on a respective boss,

and said clasp being in its normal position freely slidable upwardly out of engagement with said boss when it is desired to remove the clasp from the crown.

2. In combination, acrown having on one side face a projection and also having on one side face a boss adapted to form a stop and rest, and a clasp having a pair of arms straddling said'crown, one of said arms resting on said boss and one of said arms'being provided with a recess receivingsaid projections and interlocking therewith to pre vent accidental withdrawal of the clasp from the'crown and saidclasp being in its normal condition freely, slidable upwardly out of engagement with said boss when it is desired to remove the clasp from the crown.

3. In combination, a crown having. a projection and a boss on'each of two of its opposite sides, and a clasp having a pair of arms straddling said crown and respectively resting on said bosses, each of said arms being provided with a'recess closely receiving one of said pro ections.

4. Incombination, a crown having on each of two of its opposite sides a plurality of projections, and a clasp having va pair of resilient arms hugging said crown and each provided with a plurality of recesses respectively receiving said projections, said crown having on each, of said sides a boss and. said arms respectively resting on said bosses. V,

5. In combination,- a crown having on each of two of it opposite sides a pairot projections and a boss, and aclasp having a .pair ofresilient arms hugging said crown and each provided with a pair of recesses respectively receiving said pro ections, said arms being provided with notches res'pectively receiving said bosses.

JOHN M. cinrieo. 

